1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hearing aids, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved hearing aid apparatus designed to reflect sound waves towards a user's ears.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of mechanical sound amplifiers to reflect sound waves into a user's ears is well known in the prior art. An early form of such sound amplification is present in hand held trumpets or funnels which include a large open end for capturing sound waves and a necked down narrow end which is insertible in a user's ear.
The same technology is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,513,937, which issued to Robinson et al on May 26, 1970, wherein enlarged replicas of human ears are retained on a headband and are positionable over a user's ears. The enlarged ears effectively comprise sound reflective surfaces which greatly enhance the user's hearing capacity. The Robinson et al device operates in the manner of the aforementioned trumpet or funnel inasmuch as a large sound reflective surface is designed to capture sound waves and reflect them through a narrowed passageway leading into the user's ear.
Another mechanical sound amplifier of interest is to be found in German Offenlegungsschrift DE No. 3410388A1 which was published on Sept. 26, 1985. The device shown in this publication includes a hollow body which has an open front end facing a sound source and a closed rear end, along with an outlet opening facing an entry opening of a human ear. The body of the device converges conically towards its rear end, and two such devices are connected by means of a headband so they can be fixedly retained behind a user's ears.
While being functional for its intended purpose, the German mechanical sound amplifier does possess certain disadvantages. For example, its elongated conical shape is not ideally designed for continued air flow, and as such, heat and humidity accumulation could actually cause garbled sound amplification to a user. Further, no means are provided for sealingly and comfortably positioning the device proximate a user's ears, while maximum efficiency is also denied by the failure to position the user's ears in an efficient position relative to the amplifier.
Accordingly, there appears to be a continuing need for new designs of mechanical sound amplification devices wherein the above-discussed disadvantages could be overcome, and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.